Fukushima

[Iain]

He does work in mysterious ways.

Here is the first box type canvas I attempted. There was another after this, but in a fit of pique I threw it out of the window. I wish I hadn't as this one has grown on me (like a carbuncle), and as I threw it the local vicar happened to be passing. You can imagine the rest.

Which reminds me. There was a cherry tree in our street we climbed. I was up it one day when I heard shouting from the nearby house, my friend's house. It was his mother. As the bathroom window was open I could plainly hear what was said. "Why is this door locked? What are you doing in there? We will be late for church!" (They were very involved with the church). As this was being said, a hand appeared from the window holding a cucumber. It reached up and placed the cucumber into the gutter, and then retreated. I didn't know what it meant at the time and for years thereafter. I still don't.
"Fancy another cream cheese and cucumber sandwich, Vicar?" "I don't know if I should..."

Anyone would think the visual art is a mere foil for relating my stupid little anecdotes. You know me better than that.

 

[Artyczar]

I love this. It reminds me a one of those living walls, only way cooler.

 

[Iain]

Funny. It might appear conceited, but it was just a thought that occurred - to wit: Paleolithic humans painted on cave walls, whereas I create the walls themselves. Actually, I am trying to learn more about what is known of that period. I like to think the drive is the same. Apparently, they would recognise shapes of the animals in the undulations of the walls and make use of them to promote realism in their portrayals. "Cave art" is, apparently, inaccurate: it is believed art was produced everywhere, it was merely that the cave environment was conducive to preserving the work. If I had the wherewithal, I would like to replicate their drawing - a bison, for instance - on one of my "cave walls".

 

[Desforges]

Totally a living wall like that structure in Italy. I would live in there .
Or a plan of the Amazon forest where people have not yet seen us. Good for them, one could imagine.
Thanks Iain, for telling about the cucumber. I won’t rest until it gets solved.
I love your anecdotes.
It never will but my imagination is working on it.
The Bosco Verticale in Milan

 

[snoball]

I really like this one! Love that little unexpected patch of red in it too. ❤

 

[Iain]

Thank you. You guys are too kind!

That living tower is amazing. You wouldn't live there if you suffered from hayfever. You might sneeze and backflip off the balcony.

 

[Trier]

Hey Iain -
Not meaning in any way to demean or diminish the artistic merit of this piece since I value food above art sometimes, but it looks to me like one of my spinach omelets with not enough of tomato.

 

[Iain]

Any reaction is fine with me. Until this forum nobody (apart from my immediate - and they could give two hoots about art - saw this. Maybe I am Pollock to your Clement Greenberg. ie. "Baked macaroni". It's funny, I was just thinking of that critique today. I must have had an intuition. Also, I deserve it for the "Peacock through a blender" comment on Enyaw's post, not that I meant anything derogatory there, either. Jesus, artists are marginalised, if not totally ignored, at the best of times, they don't need to shit on each other.

I've got to admit, I find having a stomach an inconvenience. You would rather eat the above (despite the lack of tomato) than what I can prepare in the kitchen, just ask my daughter...

Cheers, my friend!

 

[Artyczar]

Yes, you can never control the reaction of how someone else will see your art. I'm always fine with whatever people see, don't see, like, or don't like. Indifference is a little upsetting though, but I can handle it. You can't really make the work to please everyone, or anyone in particular (usually).

 

[Bongo]

what is the relationship between the title - Fukishima -
and the artwork?

 

[Bizzibee]

Great job! It looks like the tangled aftermath of the nuclear disaster, with a little bit of hope, to me.

 

[Bongo]

what is the relationship between the title - Fukishima -
and the artwork?

Great job! It looks like the tangled aftermath of the nuclear disaster, with a little bit of hope, to me.

It does look like the aftermath of a disaster. The relationship to Fukushima imo is the green glow- which is a common convention to depict radiation - I use it too. But actually radiation is invisible. The misconception dates back to the time when some watch dials were painted with "Undark" - a green glowing paint sold by the Radium Corporation. The paint contained a mixture of radium and phosphor. It was the phosphor in the presence of radium that gave off the green glow. Radiation is invisible - and other than phosphor doesn't tend to make things turn green and glow. But thankfully the convention exists for us to exploit.

 

[Desforges]

Thank you. You guys are too kind!

That living tower is amazing. You wouldn't live there if you suffered from hayfever. You might sneeze and backflip off the balcony.

Or go for a jog and run off the ledge.

 

[Bongo]

at the time of the disaster, I painted this..Weeping Neko - 40"x30" acrylic on Yupo

later made this 24"x36" acrylic on Yupo - and also made into a poster -the kanji says "Fukushima"

 

[Iain]

what is the relationship between the title - Fukishima -
and the artwork?

It does look like the aftermath of a disaster.

I don't know. It just seemed to fit the piece.

I am aware of the disaster, and if others were to become aware of it through the title, that wouldn't be a bad thing, but that was not my original motivation, if i'm to be honest.

Appreciate the interest.

 

[Iain]

Or go for a jog and run off the ledge.

You wouldn't catch me jogging.

I'm that fast.

 

[Trier]

Any reaction is fine with me. Until this forum nobody (apart from my immediate - and they could give two hoots about art - saw this. Maybe I am Pollock to your Clement Greenberg. ie. "Baked macaroni". It's funny, I was just thinking of that critique today. I must have had an intuition. Also, I deserve it for the "Peacock through a blender" comment on Enyaw's post, not that I meant anything derogatory there, either. Jesus, artists are marginalised, if not totally ignored, at the best of times, they don't need to shit on each other.

I've got to admit, I find having a stomach an inconvenience. You would rather eat the above (despite the lack of tomato) than what I can prepare in the kitchen, just ask my daughter...

Cheers, my friend!

Hey Iain - I was confident that you would take my comment in the lighthearted and kidding way it was intended, that's what buddies do after all. Thanks,
I thought there was a vague possibility that some PC super sensitive soul might take offense on your behalf and also as an offense to serious artistic critique (which it was) since I am in no way qualified to do so, but not likely on this site.
Maybe I am kidding myself as Basil Fawlty did in his German skit when he said "I mentioned it once, but I think I I got away with it!"

Anyway, I wanted to expand on your cave art remarks as I couldn't draw a bison or horse that good if my life depended on it. It sort of proves to me that people are born with enormous differences in artistic talent and probably always will be. I hope I am around when you post what you 'cook up' in your bison on cave wall efforts!

Cheers Friend!

 

[Iain]

Just as you cannot control people's reaction to your work (see above), you cannot control what they will say or do more generally, only your reaction to such.

Of course, by "PC" is meant post-coitus.